AllFreeNovel
Share Us
It was a blur, a total blur, and when we walked back into the penthouse, one of two teams remaining, I sat at the table and hung my head. “I’m sorry.”
She spun around. “What? Why? What for? We won!”
“It wasn’t just you, Bri. I was so lost in the new job and making more money for our future that I just… I missed you, Bri. I missed all the signs where you wanted to feel needed, did I…” I hated to ask. “Did I starve you for attention sometimes? Make you feel small?”
She sighed and pulled out a chair. “It was my own insecurity.”
“Don’t belittle yourself or blame yourself, did I make you feel that way sometimes?”
She shrugged. “I just wanted to contribute somehow, I wanted to be something more, not just for you, but for me, and sometimes you’d make comments in passing or teasing even about your job and about how I didn’t need to worry about work and it made me feel worthless, I mean when we met I was so depressed nobody would hire me, so it was always this trigger and while I think you meant it as encouragement, I took it as being useless once again. I mean, I was a barista. I wasn’t using my degree, it just fed into more and more insecurity. I never blamed you though.”
“You never told me, but I was too busy to catch on. I’m sorry, Bri. I really am.”
A tear slid down her cheek. She swiped it away. “God, why do you have to be so perfect? I couldn’t even date and one guy picked his nose, then rubbed it on his jeans.”
“You gagged, didn’t you?”
“I did.”
“I’m sorry, at least he didn’t eat it.”
“Yeah, but I think the temptation was there.”
I scrunched up my nose. “Where the hell did you find him Farmers Only?”
Her glare said to not asked any more questions. “Anyway, thank you.” She scooted her chair closer to mine. “You think we can win tomorrow?”
“Who cares? We’re in this together now, right? If we don’t win, there’s always stripping for cash, we could make up each other’s stripper names, might be an adventure. Either way, we do it together.”
“Together.” She agreed. “I like it.”
“Side by side.”
“Ride or die.” She laughed.
“Bury the body and the shovel.”
“Amateur!” She smacked my thigh. “We burn it, we always burn it.”
I snapped my fingers. “Right, right. I’ll just let you stay in charge.”
She held out her hand. I shook it. “And if vampires or aliens exist, you’ll be point on that deal?”
“I’m already prepared.”
“I’ve never been more proud.”
I pulled her closer, her chair scraped across the floor. “I can tell by the stars in your eyes.”
“Oh, that’s the reflection of the kitchen light.”
“Let me dream.”
She leaned in and pressed a kiss to my cheek. “They’re stars—a reflection of you.”
Chapter Twelve
Ace
